Keyhole obstructing locking devices



Feb. 2, 1965 F. GOODMAN 7 3,167,945

KEYHOLE OBSTRUCTING LOCKING DEVICES Filed July 3, 1965 INVENTOR E'ankGoodman ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,1673% Patented Feb. 2,I965 3,167,945 KEYHOLE GIES'IRUCTING LLEEKING DEVICES Frank Goodman, 259W. 77th St, New York, FLY. Filed .Iuly 3, I963, Ser. No. 292,652 ItQlaims. (6i. 7tl--428) This invention relates to locking devices, andmore particularly to latch devices for barring access to the keyhole ofa door lock.

There are many occasions when it is necessary to bar persons having adoor key to certain premises from gaining access thereto by the use ofthe key. Examples of such occasions are those arising from the need toprevent entry to premises by hotel guests or tenants with unpaid bills,discharged servants etc. Among the conventional methods of preventingsuch access are the removal of the entire lock and the replacementthereof with a new one, the resetting of the lock mechanism, or theplugging of the keyhole-expedients that are costly, that require specialskills and are labor-consuming.

It is an object of this invention to provide a locking device adaptedeffectively to prevent access to the key aperture of a door or doorknob, but which has none of the shortcomings of said conventionalexpedients. More specifically, it is within the contemplation of myinvention to enable the placement of an obstructing wall over the doorkeyhole, such as the keyhole in a door knob, and the locking thereof inplace, by simple manual manipulations. And in this aspect of myinvention it is an object to provide a structure which, when operativelylocked, cannot be displaced laterally, vertically, forwardly orrearwardly or in any other direction, except by unlocking the devicewith a special key.

Another object of my invention is to provide a locking device of theabove class that can readily be attached to a door knob withoutmutilating the knob or any portion of the door, and that will, whenoperatively in place, be attractive in appearance.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a relatively simpleand inexpensive device comprising a combination of elements adaptedcoactively to employ, as the locking component thereof, a conventionallocking member, such as a ratchet lock.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings andthe description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a door showing the lockingdevice of my invention operatively in place on a door knob.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the knob with one embodiment of my inventionoperatively in place.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the device of FIG. 2 but with the two majorcomponents thereof in disassembled relation.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 2 taken along line 44.

FIGURE 5 is a front view of FIG. 4, with the key removed.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the lower locking component of the deviceshown looking in the direction of arrows 66 of FIG. 3.

FIGURE 7 is a side view of a modified form of my invention shownoperatively applied to a door knob.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 7 taken along line 38.

FIGURE 9 is a front view of FIG. 7.

FIGURE 10 is a side view of another form of my invention shownoperatively in place on the door knob.

FIGURE 11 is a section of FIG. 10 taken along line 11-11.

In the form of my invention illustrated in FIGS. 1

to 6, the knob 15 of the door 16 is joined to the shaft 17 attached tothe door in conventional manner, the knob 15 being of the type having akeyhole 13 therein positioned at the front wall 19 of the knob. Thelocking mechanism associated with the keyhole I8 is of conventionalconstruction and is therefore not herein illustrated. The locking deviceconstituting the invention, generally designated by the referencenumeral 20, comprises two main compenents, the lock member 21 and thebar member 22. As will more clearly appear from the descriptionhereinafter given, the bar 22 is adapted to be operatively inserted intothe lock member 21 and locked therein by the operative manipulation ofthe key 23, the said members having arm portions 24 and 25,respectively, so proportioned and positioned as to coactively form aloop in embracing engagement with the knob 15 and the said shaft 17,thereby to prevent the detachment of the device from the knob-the bar 22having a front wall 26 positioned so as to obstruct the said keyhole 18when the device is operatively in place. It is only when the key 23 isoperatively moved to an unlocking position that the bar 22 can beseparated from the locking member 21, as indicated in FIG. 3, to enableaccess to be had to said keyhole 18.

The lock member 21 comprises a body portion 27 containing therein aconventional ratchet lock mecha nism well known to those skilled in theart. Accordingly no description of said locking mechanism in bodyportion 27 is herein given, particularly since a detailed descriptionthereof is not necessary for an understanding of the present invention.Suffice it to say, for the purpose of this specification, that thelocking member 21 contains a locking element adapted to be moved betweena locking and releasing position by the operative turning of key 23,such a locking element being indicated in FIG. 2 as element 28 and shownin its locking position in engagement with teeth 29 of the bar 22. Thebar is shown inserted Within the slot 30 at the rear of said lockingmember 21. When the element 28 is in its said locking position, the saidbar 22 is operatively locked in place in known manner; and when theelement 28 is in its operatively retracted position, the bar 22 isreleased and can be slid upwardly and removed from the locking member21.

At the top of the body portion 27 of the locking member 21 is the plate31, the latter being operatively joined to the body portion so as toform an integral part thereof and having a slot Stla congruent with theslot 30 in the body portion 27. Extending rearwardly from said plate 31is said arm portion 24 comprising an upwardly extending arm 32 having abifurcated upper portion 33 with two fingers 34 and 35 straddling thelower portion of said shaft 17. Said fingers 34 and 35 containrearwardly extending flanges 36 and 37, respectively, providing extendedengaging surfaces between said fingers and the opposite sides of theshaft 17. The said bar 22 has a substantially vertical lower portion 38joined to the said wall 26 overlying the keyhole 1$said wall 26 being ofexpanded proportions and, in the form illustrated, having arcuate sides40 and 41 concentric with the outer periphery of the knob 15 foraesthetic purposes. The wall 26 joins the upper portion 42 of invertedU-shaped configuration which loops over the top of the door knob 15 andthen extends downwardly a short distance behind the knob to join thelower expanded portion 43 the lower terminal of which is bifurcated andcomprises the fingers 4d and 45 having the respective rearwardlyextending flanges 46 and 47 straddling the upper portion of the shaft17. The arrangement is hence such that the flanged lower fingers 34 and35 and the flanged upper fingers 44 and 45 cooperate to embrace theshaft 17 on opposite lateral looped portion 42 of bar 22 and the rearportion 39 of plate 31 coaot to prevent vertical movements of theinterengaged bar 22 and lock 21; and the wall 26 of the bar 22 incooperation with the rear arm portions 24 and 25 prevent any forward orrearward movement of the locking device. Hence, in such lockedposit-ion, the wall 26 is at all times maintained in obstructingposition withrespect to the keyhole 18.

All that need be done to remove the wall 26 from its said obstructingposition is operatively to manipulate the key 23, and effect a removalof the bar 22, in the manner aforesaid. Thus, both the attachment andremoval of this device can be effected without mutilating the door knobor any portion of the door, and without effecting any structural changesWithin the locking member of the door.

In the form of my invention shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the locking member 49is cooperatively interengageable with the bar and operatively detachabletherefrom, in the manner aforesaid, by manipulating a key in the keyhole52 at the bottom of the body portion of'locking member 49; The plate 53,joined to the top of the locking member 49, contains the rearwardlyextending arm 54 having upwardly extending fingers 55 and 56 inembracing engagement with the shaft 17 of the doorknob 15. The upperhooked portion 57 of the bar member 50 engages the upper portion of theknob 15, but it does not extend down to the shaft 17 as in the firstembodiment above described. In this form of my inventionitheintermediate portion 58 of the bar 54) is in obstructing relation to thekeyhole 18, in the manner aforesaid. A lateral shifting of theinterengaged bar 55 and locking member 49 is prevented solely by theoperative engagement of the fingers 55 and 56 of the arm 54 with theshaft-17; and

'a displacement in other directionsis prevented by the operativeengagement of portions of the two main components 49 and 50 in themanner illustrated and hereinabove described.

In the form of my invention illustrated in FIGS. and 11, the lockingcomponent 5% comprises a body portion 60 flanked by the upper and lowerhorizontal walls 61 and 62, respectively, the slot 63 for the baredbeing disposed at the. front of the said body portion 6% the upper plate61 having therein the slot'63a congruent with slot 63 to permit theinsertion of the said bar 64. The said lower plate 62 is adapted toreceive a key, substantially like 'key 23 of FIG. 2 at keyhole'65, thelocking mechanism with the body portion 69 being substantially similarto the conventional mechanism referred to in the description of lockingmember 21. The said locking member 59 has at the rear thereof twoupwardly extending fingers 66 and 67 flanking the lateral sides of theknob shaft 17 and preventing a lateral movement of the device withrespect to said shaft 17 and the knob 15. Joining said fingers is thearcuate Wall 79 in underlying engagement with said shaft 17.Extending'upwardly from the bottom plate 62 to substantially the tops ofsaid fingers 66 and 67 are the ribs 68 and 69, respectively, to giverigidity to the entire lock component. The looped top 63 of the ratchetlock, said bar having an arm with a portion therebar 64 embraces onlythe upper portion of the knob 15,

substantially in the manner of the device shown in FIG. 7. The two maincomponents 59 and 64- thus cooperate to prevent access to the keyhole13, in the manner aforesaid; but additionally the combination of theupper and lower plates 61 and 62, the two fingers 66 and 67 and'the tworibs 68 and 69 give such rigidity to the device as to resist any attemptat dislodgement of the unit by bending it away from the doorknob.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by wayof example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations andmodifications may be made therein. It is tobe understood, therefore,that atleast one of said arms having a bifurcated terminal portion inembracing engagement with said shaft, locking means to releasably holdsaid components in saidloperative position, and a wall connected to oneof said arms and positioned in obstructing relation to said keyhole whensaid components are in said operative position.

2. In combination with a door having a knob and a keyhole, a lockingdevice comprising two; separable knobengaging components, a ratchet lockattached to one of said components, the other of said components havinga bar proportioned for coactive releasable engagement with said ratchetlock, a wall on one of said components proportioned and positioned forobstructing relation to said keyhole when said bar is in operativeengagement with said lock, said components having respective curvedsections formed'to coactively embrace said knob when said wall is insaid keyhole-obstructing position.

3. In combination with a door having a shaft supporting a knob with akeyhole therein, a locking device comprising two separable knob-engagingcomponents, one of said components having a ratchet lock and an armhaving a portion thereof engageable with a rear portion of said knob,the other of said components having a bar proportioned for coactivereleasable engagement with said of spaced from said arm of said othercomponent and engageable with a rear portion of said knob, a wallportion on one of said arms proportioned and positioned for obstructingrelation to said keyhole when said bar is in operative engagement withsaid lock, both of said arms having sections thereof shaped tocoactively embrace said knob when saidtwall portion is in saidkeyhole-obstructing position.

4; In a locking device, the combination according to claim 3, said armof the component'which has said ratchet lock being engageable with theunderside ,of said knob, said arm of said bar being ,engageable with thetop of said knob.

5. In a locking device, the combination according to claim 3, said armof the component which has said ratchet lock being engageable with theunderside of said knob, said arm of said bar being engageable with thetop of said knob, said keyhole-obstructing wall portion being joined tosaid bar and being operatively. disposed in'front of said knob.

6; In a locking device, the combination according to claim 3,'said armof the component which has said ratchet lock being engageable with theunderside of said knob, said arm of said bar being engageable with thetop of said knob, said keyhole-obstructing wall being of enlargedproportions with the lateral edges thereof conforming substantially tothe adjacent peripheral portions of said knob and being joined tosaidbar and being operatively disposed in front of said knob.

7. Ina locking device, the combination according to claim 3, a platejoined to said ratchet lock, said arm of the component with said ratchetlock being joined to said plate, said plate having a slotted portiontherein for operatively accommodating said bar.

8i In a locking device, the combination according to .claim 3, at leastone of said arms having a bifurcated terminal in straddling engagementwith said shaft.

9. In a locking device, the combination according to Telaim 3., said armof the component which has said ratchet lock being engageable with theunderside of said knob, said arm of said bar being engageable with thetop of said knob, both of said arms having bifurcated terminals instraddling engagement with the respective lower and upper portions ofsaid shaft.

10. In combination with a door having a shaft supporting a knob with akeyhole therein, a locking device comprising two separable knob-engagingcomponents, one of said components having a ratchet lock, an upper and alower plate joined to the respective top and bottom portions of saidlock, and two fingers extending upwardly from said lower plate and beingin flanking engagement with said shaft, the other of said componentshaving a bar proportioned for coactive releasable engagement with saidratchet lock, said bar having an arm with a portion thereof engageablewith a rear portion of said knob, a wall portion on said barproportioned and positioned for obstructing relation to said keyholewhen said bar is in operative engagement with said lock, an arcuate walljoining said fingers and in underlying engagement with said shaft, saidupper plate and the said arm of said bar engaging the respective lowerand upper portions of said knob when said wall portion is in saidkeyhole-obstructing position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ALBERT H. KAMPE,Primary Examiner.

2. IN COMBINATION WITH A DOOR HAVING A KNOB AND A KEYHOLE, A LOCKING DEVICE COMPRISING TWO SEPARABLE KNOBENGAGING COMPONENTS, A RATCHET LOCK ATTACHED TO ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS, THE OTHER OF SAID COMPONENTS HAVING A BAR PROPORTIONED FOR COACTIVE RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RATCHET LOCK, A WALL ON ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS PROPORTIONED AND POSIUTIONED FOR OBSTRUCTING RELATION OF SAID KEYHOLE WHEN SAID BAR IS IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH 